Printable View
Okay...the pots and pans DH and I got when we first moved in together are getting on for 9 years old...we really need new ones.
I want them to be a long term investment...don't know that the budget would stretch to copper bottoms but I want them to be good.
David Jones currently has 40% off Kitchen Aid...are they any good?
Any brand recommendations?
I love my baccarat ones........
i second baccarat
i have also fallen in love with jamie olivers pans....i only have the pancake one atm..
i love scanpan... LOVE them. IMO if you can only afford a few just get a few and build on that later... it is amazing what you can do with a large,asmall/med and a fry pan... and keepacouple of your old ones til you can replace. i am a mad cookandmy scan pans ROCK!
I love my Anolon pots and pans, heavy but so easy to clean.
I've had my Baccarat one's for about 5 years and they still look brand new ( yes I do cook everyday with them ;) ). I think they were on sale at Myer for about 40% off at the time.
We got a 10 piece set of Swiss Diamond pans when we got married. They are quite expensive but they come with a lifetime warrantee and are the most amazing things to use. We absolutely LOVE them! You can check out their website by typing in the name and ending with a ".com"...and no, I don't work for / have shares in the company (haha), I am just a really happy user!!
We also have baccarat saucepans and love them!! They were a wedding gift 5 years ago and they still look brand new!
I have crappy saucepans, but have great quality saute pan and fry pan and roasting dish. They are made by Chefs toolbox and I love them eventually will get some saucepans also from them.
we've gor baccarat too
Owww I am off to google baccarat, we desperatly need new P & P too. I thought of looking into Bessemer, everyone who has b/mer seems so happy with it.
swiss diamond were the others i was thinking of.
We have teh ones with stainless stell handles - they last much longer than the plastic handled ones.
I have baccarat ones. Best out I reckon that arent copper lol
I have the metal handles - they can go in the oven which makes like sooo much easier!
They also have a warranty and guarantee on them.
KitchnAid is overpriced.
Bessemer is great - but it isnt really everyday pots and pans. Their dutch oven though is fab, so are the pans.
Same as Brontide, we have the ss handle one's and they are soooo good.
Wow all the votes for Baccarat! My best friend has Baccarat too - I've also been consulting via email with some foodie mates.
But...DH has authorised Scanpan :dance:
We have a Scanpan roasting tray that is still in great shape and he is biased towards it because it's the only one that has stood the test of time. Mind you it's the only one that gets treated with respect because it cost a fortune to start with.
He was saying replace one pot at a time with a Scanpan, like pregagainpan suggested. But I then put my thinking cap on and Peters of Kensington have Scanpan at awesome prices which makes it within reach. No Baccarat there unfortunately...and DH is saying Scanpan, Scanpan so who am I to argue???
Thank you so much ladies, this has been interesting (and fun...I love homewares).
Copper ones if I had a gazillion dollars. With metal handles (for reasons mentioned above) and Le Creuset or Chasseur Dutch ovens of varying sizes...
When you start dreaming about the day you can polish your copper saucepans you know you have a problem.
Have you looked at victoria's basement?
They often have great specials
ETA - I can't walk past Le Creuset without fingering it lovingly.....
Ooooo thanks I forgot about Victoria's Basement...
*off I go*
We have a beautifu scanpan set and I would have to say that are pretty good. They really get hot and retain their heat well. We have one copper scanpan fry pan with lid, its unbelievable I can cook a rack of lamb in it on the stove top, keeps the meat unbelievable moist.
One down fall is they are a bit of a pain to clean. I havn't kept on top of mine and most of them have black stains on the bottom, apparently I am meant to gumption it? The inside is cleans fairly easily though.
We did get a buildup of black in the corners of our Scanpan roasting pan but some lemon juice, bicarb and a Vileda teflon scourer with some elbow grease got it back like new. We'd neglected seasoning it after washing it.
Okay might have changed my mind about Scanpan. It has a lot of bad reviews about the surface bubbling.
Oh well...at least I know that DH will let me spend reasonable money on decent cookware. Time to put the research cap on.
I also love the barcarat ones! Only have a fry pan and a saucepan at this stage but will add to them eventually.
Oopsy
Havent heard any bad press re: scanpan...im like pregpainagain....i love scanpan, have 5 pots and pans and serioulsy would not be without it.
Try TVSN too...they offer part payment options and good bundles.
ETA: I have jamie oliver huge pasta pot with drainer, my DH bougth it for me one mothers day - it cost $359 or something - ridiculous....and i find i still need oil/cooking spray to prevent from sticking.
Good luck....its great your DH is taking an interest.
I would use Telfon pans if you paid me - they are so dangerous and unnecessary - we well seasoned pan is just as non-stick and they can go in the oven! They wont degrade and wont flake off toxic chemicals into my food.
WRT to cleaning copper pans. Is the copper exposed? If you have an exposed copper pans (the pretty one lol) then dont use gumption!!
There are 2 ways to remove tough marks on copper, particularly older more blackened tarnish. First, try the Tomato Sauce Method. Yes, tomato sauce!
Spread it on the base and leave it for about 10 minutes or so, then wash off in hot water with a soft dish cloth. (dont use scourers it will compromise the surface)
The other method is how we clean them at work - the same way Escoffier's copper pans were cleaned. (gotta be good enough if they used it for his pans!! lol)
Mix together 1/4 of a cup of white vinegar and 2 tablespoons of coarse salt.
Then apply the paster to the copper using a sponge or dishcloth and then rinsed in plenty of hot water. This cleans the copper thoroughly but does not strip the patina.
If you want a brighter shine, you may wish to use a proprietary copper cleaner regularly. (like Brasso)
Curly - i havent had any probs with the scanpans and I have hadthem for 6 yrs and i cook a lot! i havent heard anything.... hmmm... did you look at swiss diamond? they are awesome as well.
BTW girls - i always thought it was a french oven??? isnt a dutch oven something quite different???!!!!
preagainpan - haha, yeah it is a french oven. We have a Chasseur one and it is amazing.
The nice thing about the Swiss Diamond pans is that the handles are NOT metal, but in fact a plastic that is heat resistant. You can use them in the oven up to about 260 degrees celcius without having to deal with the piping hot handles when you take them out!!
I'm also going to investigate Swiss Diamond...haven't had a chance yet.
Limeslice...I don't think I know HOW to cook on a non-nonstick surface?!!! How on earth do I clean a pan after I've been frying meat in it or if you burn something on it? Can I keep it looking nice and new?
I did come across a bit about teflon in my googling last night and it made me start to wonder if perhaps I should look for a different option.
Or am I getting mixed up and you can get nonstick surfaces that aren't teflon?
Pregagainpan....Dutch ovens = French ovens...same same! (And I know what you are referring to, but the cookware really is called a Dutch oven).
I am a huge fan of my scanpans - I have quite a collection so far.
One thing I would suggest is to write down the retail price of whatever you decide on (any brand) and then surf the net (websites) and phone stores for the best deal. You should be able to knock at least 30% off what you are buying.
I did this and ended up ordering them from Peters..........com.au mentioned earlier because they had the best deal available at that particular time, and paying postage was cheaper that petrol/parking for the only store that came close to matching the price. The websites that sell homewares often have a buy this, and get this free offer is another way to save money.
If you are buying a whole set, try and get one with the steamer insert that fits different sized pots. I have a scanpan one that fits 3 different saucepans - very handy. A few other brands make the same sort of thing.
MMMM I love kitchenware....
It is entirely possible to have non-stick pans that don't have teflon etc in them. It just takes some time to season them and care to maintain them (don't wash them up!!)
HERE is how to do it.
this was an amzing tip!! Thank you so much.:
our copper one is looking quite sad actually, we were accidently given two of the exact same brand so DH has decided his is the nice shiney un-used one and mine is the stained one!
:clap:
Well you wouldnt believe it, as I was doing the weekly shop, I happened to walk past, accidently on purpose, a kitchen shop called "House", and they have 50 % off Baccarat and Scanpan ... so in I popped with all my BB knowledge and put a set on lay-by .. I can't wait to pick them up ... Thanks for all the advice girls, even though I didnt post the thread
the chefs toolbox ones are NOT teflon coated well worth a look and you could find a person in your area that does it ans have a party and save money!!! thats how i started buying them as a friend started as a consultant so i bought at her 1st party then hosted my own and friends booked and bought at theres etc.
oh I love the chef tooldbox pans *drool* They are well worth the money!
Curly - if it is a pan you have to wash, (SS) then using a bit of elbow grease lol Then once the outside gets a little rotten, gumption.
If is is a cast pan, you just wipe it out. Again if you have to wash it, just a dishcloth. The trick is not to burn them hehehe
Keep pans in usuable condition is really easy - you actually dont necessarily want your SS pans to be gleaming.
Like Brontide says, there are ways to season non-stick pans to make them non-stick, and there are also non sticks that arent teflon - like Chefs Toolbox